Я, Робот
The Evitable Conflict
Earth(Includingtheuninhabitedcontinent,Antarctica)
a-Area:54,000,000squaremiles(landsurface)
b-Population:3,300,000,000
c-Capital:NewYork
Thefirebehindthequartzwaswearynow,andsputtereditsreluctantwaytodeath.
TheCo-ordinatorwassomber,hismoodmatchingthesinkingflame.
"Theyallminimizethestateofaffairs."Hisvoicewaslow."Isitnoteasytoimaginethattheyalllaughatme?AndyetVincentSilversaidtheMachinescannotbeoutoforder,andImustbelievehim.HiramMackenziesaystheycannotbefedfalsedata,andImustbelievehim.ButtheMachinesaregoingwrong,somehow,andImustbelievethat,too;andsothereisstillanalternativeleft."
HeglancedsidewiseatSusanCalvin,who,withclosedeyes,foramomentseemedasleep.
"Whatisthat?"sheasked,prompttohercue,nevertheless.
"Why,thatcorrectdataisindeedgiven,andcorrectanswersareindeedreceived,butthattheyarethenignored.ThereisnowaytheMachinecanenforceobediencetoitsdictates."
"MadameSzegeczowskahintedasmuch,withreferencetoNorthernersingeneral,itseemstome."
"Soshedid."
"AndwhatpurposeisservedbydisobeyingtheMachine?Let’sconsidermotivations."
"It’sobvioustome,andshouldbetoyou.Itisamatterofrockingtheboat,deliberately.TherecanbenoseriousconflictsonEarth,inwhichonegrouporanothercanseizemorepowerthanithasforwhatitthinksisitsowngooddespitetheharmtoMankindasawhole,whiletheMachinesrule.
